Monthly Archives: July 2009

Cycle World announced sweeping changes yesterday that will go a long way in determining the fate of enthusiast print in the years ahead. As they near the half century mark (January, 1962) CW plans to freshen their brand with new layout, content and production changes to their print effort and a much needed overhaul of their web site, beginning with the November print issue (onsale date October).

The strategy now in play calls for breaking news to be ported online, while open dated, long term print editorial will benefit from a production switch to perfect binding and paper upgrades in both finish and weight. Both changes allow for expanded advertiser content, as well as overall improved looks.

Also reflecting the new reality is a more aggressive focus on repurposing existing content for online distribution, with the current focus on their annual Buyer’s Guides, and continued promotion of their TWIST community media launch.

With a hard won and well deserved rep for photojournalism and solid art direction, CW is well positioned to exploit their readers’ need for online immediacy coupled with the tactile and visual feedback only print can deliver. Stay tuned.

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Last month I was in Baton Rouge for, among other things, the Public Relations Association of Louisiana’s (PRAL) June meeting. The featured speaker was SSA Consultants partner Christel Slaughter, whose emotional plea was for everyone in the audience to “Stop The Silos!” as the first step in improving internal and external employee engagement.

Silos are a popular marketing metaphor for the formal compartmentalization of personnel, departments and functions. Silos not in the agricultural sense, but in the org chart ability to keep contents separate; corn from wheat, rice from peanuts, sales from marketing, pr from advertising, progression from regression – a.k.a., bureaucracy run amok. Continue reading →